Machine for folding sheet metal



' BY, I

(No Mode l.)

0; REISING. MACHINE FOR FOLDINGSHEBT METAL? Patented Feb. 14, 1888-.

mom,

v, N, l nens, Pholo-Ulhngnpher, Washinglefl. n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

'(JASPAR REISING, OF PLANTSVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

MA HIN FOR FOLDING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,863, dated February14, 1888. Application filed September 20, 1887. Serial No. 256.159. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CASPAR REISING, of

, Plantsville, in the county of Hartford and State spring-actuated gagethat is horizontally adjustable in the supporting-stand of theme.-chine, a spring-actuated clamp located below the folding-plate, andmeans'for locking the gage flush with said clamp, so as to permit thepassage of the sheet metal above the gage when it is to be folded at apoint away from the edge, as will be fully described hereinafter, andfinally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view of myimproved gage for folding sheet metal, showing the foldingbar inposition before folding the metal, parts of the machine being insection. Fig.2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1, showing the foldingbar.Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectionshowing the foldingbar turned back toreceive the sheet metal, and Fig. 5is a similar view showing the bar turned over to bend the sheet at itsedge. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the end standards of myimproved machine, showing the hinged folding-bar in section and themethod of guiding the same in said standard.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the base-fran1e of my improvedmachine for folding sheet metal, which base-frame is made of L-shapedcross-section, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and provided at the ends withupright standards A, that are rigidly attached thereto by suitablescrews. Each standard A has a central opening, and at the rear part ahorizontal slot, at, on a level with the upper edge of the base-frame A.At their inner sides the standards A are provided with nearly circularguide-grooves a for the semicircular guideribs 1) of the end plates, 1),of a folding-bar, B. The guide-grooves a and guide'ribs b form a kind ofhinge for the folding-bar B, so that the same may be swung by its handleB from its normal position in thebase-frame A(shown in Fig. 4) into theposition'shown in Fig. 5. To the rear ends of the yoke-shaped standardsA is attached, by means of fixed exterior ears, d, and fastening-screwsd,'a stationary foldingplate, 0, the inner tapering edge of which eX-'tends toward the interior of thebaseframeA and standards A, and whichserves to fold the edge of the sheet metal in connection with thefolding-bar B.

To facilitate theswinging motion of the folding-bar B, the same isprovided at both ends with anti-friction rollers e, which turn looselyon shafts that are supported in fixed sockets I e ofthe folding-bar B,said anti-friction rollers moving over the exterior semicircular surfaceof the end standards, A, and facilitating thereby the swinging motion ofthe folding-bar.

Below the stationary folding-plate O is arranged a clamp, D, which isguided along the inner edge of the L-shaped base-frame A, as

shown in Figs. 4 and 5, said clamp D being attached to the free ends ofstrong U-shaped springs D, which press the clamp against the sheet metalintroduced between the rear part of the frame A and the stationary plate0 and hold it in proper position for being folded by the hingedfolding-bar B.

The folding-bar B is provided at the rear part with a shoulder, f, belowwhich the springs D project, said shoulder preventing To the top of thehinged folding-bar Bis applied a gage, E, which is connected byperforated sleeves g and screw-pintles g to a downwardly-extending arm,9 that engages by a central recess an annular groove, 9 on the shank ofa screw, G. The screw G engages a threaded socket, g, of the folding-barB. The arm 9 is provided with a fixed guide-rod,"g, that slides in ahole of the folding-bar B and serves to guide and steady the gage Ewhile it is adjusted in forward or backward direction on thefolding-barB by the adjusting-screw G. The gage E is provided with fingers 6*, thatextend into grooves e of the bar B, and is acted U tire length of theplate is folded.

upon by spiral springs k, that are set into socket-s of the folding-barB, said spiral springs serving to raise the gage E and the fingers e sothat they project above the folding-bar B and serve as stops for thesheet metal introduced between the base-frame A and clamp D and thestationary plate 0, determining thereby the width of the edge to befolded over. By adjusting the gage-fingers farther away from thefolding-plate O a greater width of sheet metal is folded over at theedge of the same, while when the gage fingers are adjusted closer to theplate a smaller strip of sheet metal is folded over at the edge.

WVhen it is desired to fold the plate of sheet metal not at the edge,but at any other point of the same, the gage-fingers are pressed downagainst the tension of the springs h it into the grooves e flush withthe surface of the folding-bar, and retained in this position bysuitable fastening-screws, i, as shown in Fig. 4. The sheet-metal platemay thus be passed through the gage-plate without being stopped by thefingers of the same, and bent at any desired point. It is obvious,however, that only plates of less width than the width of the machinebetween the end standards can be folded in this manner.

For operating the machine the sheet metal is introduced between thebase-frame A and spring-clamp D and the stationary foldingplate 0 untilthe edge of the same is stopped by the gage'fingers 6*, which have beenadjusted for the required size of fold. The folding-bar B is then swungby its handle B from its horizontal position (shown in Fig. 4) into aninverted position above the stationary plate 0, its sharp edge bendingthe projecting strip of sheet metal over the folding-plate, as shown inFig. 5. The folding-barB is then returned into its former position andthe sheet-metal plate moved lengthwise in the openingsin the endstandards, A, until the next section of the sheet-metal plate is inposition for folding, which is then folded by swinging over the bar B,and so on until the edge along the en The plate is then removed inlongitudinal direction from the stationary folding-plate. Then the plateof sheet metal is to be folded atany other point than at the edge, it ismoved over the gage after the samehas been secured in position flushwith the folding-bar, the foldingbar being then swung backward by itshandle for folding the plate, which is removed in forward direction-overthe gage, as the gage-fingers are not in the way in this case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination ofa base-frame having fixedyoke-shaped end standards, a stationary folding-plate attached to thesaid standards, a hinged folding-bar guided by said end standards, aspring-clamp below the stationary plate, and a hinged adjustable andspringactuated gage having fingers guided in grooves of saidfolding-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an L-shaped baseframe having fixed yoke-shaped endstandards, a stationary folding-plate attached to said standards, afolding'bar guided by ribbed end plates in circular grooves of thestandards, a spring-clamp below the stationary plate, agage havingfingers guided in grooves of said folding-bar, said gage being hinged toa bracket-plate guided in the l'oldingbar, and a set-screw engaging saidbracket-plate and folding-bar for adjusting the gage, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination, in a sheet-metal-folding machine, with the hingedfolding'bar having top grooves, of a gage having fingers, abracket-plate guided by a rod in said foldingbar, the gage being hingedto said bracketplate, .an adjusting screw engaging said bracket-plateand a socket in the folding-bar, and spiral springs located in socketsof the folding'bar for raising the fingers of the gage out of thegrooves of the folding-bar, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a supporting-frame having fixed yoke-shaped endstandards, astationary foldingplate attached to said standards,a hingedfolding-bar guided by said standards and provided with an interiorshoulder, a clamp supported on bent springs below the stationary plate,said springs being engaged by the shoulder of the folding-bar, and ahinged and adjustable gage having fingers guided in grooves of thefoldingbar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a supportingframe having fixed yoke-shaped endstandards, a sta

